This wasn’t in the script! A beaten up Washington go into Seattle and return with a heroic win. Our Redskins writer Christian Burt goes Skin Deep and 3 & out on the thrilling 17-14 victory…

Josh Doctson is smiling on the sideline

He smiles for the absolute clutch of a diving catch that’s taken Washington to the Seattle goal line and he smiles that his QB has taken the advice of his HC and let loose a little. The second year receiver spent most of 2016 on IR; but he’s healthy and starting to show exactly how good a first round WR can be.

And I do more than smile – sorry neighbourhood for the post-midnight celebrations – when Rob Kelley punches in the one yard TD for a lead of three. Sure, Seattle are then left with enough time to get into FG range or even more, but a final Hail Mary from Russell Wilson is broken up by the returning veteran Safety DeAngelo Hall. One hell of a football game is over, but the Redskins’ season is not.

Character in abundance

If you are drafted into the National Football League, you are going to be good, athletic and a competitor. But this crazy game asks you to go deeper, and even the most critical would find it hard going to find character flaws across this Washington roster.

A combination of good to great coaching, free agents that have been impactful from the off (Zach Brown, Josh Norman) and getting guys further down the draft who are real team football players. Of huge importance is the reaction of those perhaps not lighting up the roster, getting less receptions than they’d ideally like: but still making plays.

Huge props again have to go to Bill Callahan and his motley crue of an O-Line.

No Trent Williams, no Brandon Scherff et al, so yes, Kirk Cousins went down aplenty (six sacks), but the offensive line done just enough to keep Washington legit. But, this game was about the Redskins defensive side of the ball, no monkey business, just straight up balling.

Wilson & Co stifled

OK, we can be honest and it’s no falsehood to suggest that the Seahawks penalty count and lack of FG points counting great aided the Skins. But once again, those gator wrestling defensive coaches Manusky and Tomsula sent out a prepared and ready to make a stand DEF.

Brown went into full LB spy mode for the inevitable Wilson run game, the backfield was sterling rather than shaken and although the Seahawks rattled up many a yard (430+), crucial INTs by the gifted KendallFuller (another future star) and the often maligned Will Compton kept Wilson uncomfortable. Nice job by the coaching staff and the guys for sticking to the plan.

The Half-Time Report and Game Ball

We’ve reached the halfway point of the Redskins 2017 season and Washington, despite being banged up, are holding up with a quartet of wins and another quartet in the loss column.

Two of the losses have been against the flying high Philadelphia Eagles who seem a shoe-in for the NFC East divisional title.

Dallas are a stronger roster than many might wish to secretly admit, so for the Redskins to progress it’ll be a wild card berth. And for that to happen it’ll need recovery of the O-line warriors Scherff and Williams, together with Kirk taking the Jay Gruden instruction of slinging a few out there for Doctson to bully CBs. If Reed and Crowder can come back healthy too, that triple J trio of Jordan, Josh and Jamison could now cause a lot of problems to many an NFL backfield.

Get fit DC and the fight is still on.

Last but not least – Game Ball in Seattle is going to Josh Doctson for the catch. This young man has the ability to dominate for many a season to come. The lights just came on and they will be lit for a long time.

This wasn’t in the script! A beaten up Washington go into Seattle and return with a heroic win. Our Redskins writer Christian Burt goes Skin Deep and[See the full post at: 3 and out: Short handed Skins stun Seattle]

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Uncle Sam's writers

Writer on such diverse topics as sport, music, theatre, law and politics. Author of 'Eddie the Sheep'. Supporter of underachieving teams, including the Chicago Bears from before that brief, heady, period in the mid-1980s when they were actually any good. All I want for Christmas is a Jim McMahon away shirt.